"Xiao Mo, your internship ends this year, right?" Zhang Yang asked at the dinner table. "Have you found a job yet?"
"I started my own business last semester," Chen Mo replied after a short pause. "Set up a company. It's doing well now, pretty stable."
"You started a company?" Aunt Chen looked up in surprise. "Why didn't I hear about this?"
"You didn't ask." Chen Mo smiled. "I was planning to tell everyone later, but since Uncle brought it up…"
"Starting a business needs capital," his dad said, frowning slightly. "If you're short on funds, your mother and I still have some savings. You can use them."
Chen Mo glanced at his father, warmth blooming quietly in his chest.
They weren't the talkative type. His dad had worked long hours when Chen Mo was younger, and they hadn't had many deep conversations. But whenever Chen Mo needed anything, his dad was always there. That silent support meant everything.
"No need, Dad," Chen Mo said, shaking his head. "The company is already making money. We're good for now."
"What does it do? What's it called?" Aunt Xiao piped up.
"Marching Ant Technology Co., Ltd. Mainly network tech," Chen Mo answered casually.
The moment he said the name, Zhang Xinxin—sitting to his left—froze mid-bite, her eyes snapping toward him in shock.
Marching Ant Technology?
That wasn't just any company.
When the Butterfly Eye phones launched, her classmates couldn't stop flaunting them. It'd become a small trend in school. She had heard of the company behind it—Marching Ant. A rising tech star that scaled to hundreds of millions in just half a year. And now… Chen Mo was saying he started it?
That couldn't be right.
She didn't say anything aloud, but she sneaked a few suspicious glances at Chen Mo. He looked way too calm for someone supposedly bluffing.
"Network tech, huh?" Zhen Zhen nodded approvingly. "That's got a future."
"Did you co-found it with some classmates?" Aunt Chen asked skeptically. "That sounds a bit unreliable."
"Nope. It's just me. I wouldn't lie to myself, would I?"
"Where did you even get the money to start it?" His mom still looked half-convinced he was making it all up.
"I studied software development at school, remember? I sold one of my programs for a good amount. Everything I earned was through legal work—no funny business."
"Alright, just don't do anything shady," his mom said, softening. "If you need help, your family's here. Don't hesitate."
"Understood." Chen Mo nodded with a small smile.
They moved on to lighter topics—family stories, neighborhood gossip, and eventually, the conversation shifted toward marriage.
That part made Chen Mo want to crawl under the table.
After dinner, Zhang Xinxin cornered Chen Mo.
"Brother," she said, narrowing her eyes. "You're really good at lying with a straight face."
"Huh? When did I lie?"
"You said you started Marching Ant Tech," she said. "You know that company's huge now, right? It's worth hundreds of millions! You're telling me that's yours? Please. Mom and Grandma might not know tech stuff, but I do."
Chen Mo shrugged. "Alright, alright. Your brother's just bragging."
Zhang Xinxin paused. "Wait… are you serious?"
"Nope. Just messing with you," he teased.
She stared at him for a beat. "Fine. Then prove it by giving me a Butterfly Eye phone."
"Oh, so now you believe me?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, amused. "Trying to con a phone out of me? Dream on."
"C'mon, look at this thing—" She held up her own battered phone. "It's three years old! Mom and Dad won't buy me a new one, but you're loaded now. You won't even notice the money!"
"You're still in review season for entrance exams. What do you even need a new phone for? To show off?" Chen Mo rolled his eyes. "Don't think I don't know how your mind works."
She stuck out her tongue, eyes gleaming. "So… you're rich now, right? Like, billionaire-rich?"
"Nope. All lies. Just a humble software guy."
"Liar," she grinned. "I know you're secretly a rich boss. So when we go shopping later, buy me some clothes, okay?"
Chen Mo sighed dramatically. "Fine. As a New Year gift. But only this once."
"You're the best!"
After clearing the dishes, the whole group headed out for a New Year shopping trip. The streets were packed, and stores buzzed with life. Chen Mo quickly discovered the terrifying truth behind female shopping stamina.
By the time they returned home, he collapsed onto his bed like a deflated balloon.
He stared at the ceiling, mentally exhausted—but his mind drifted back to work.
Artificial intelligence.
Specifically, character design.
He thought about the traits he wanted: loyal, calm, emotionally intelligent, reliable. Everything Xiao Yu naturally embodied.
But making an AI that mirrored her perfectly?
Something still felt off. It wasn't complete.
Still thinking, he instinctively picked up his phone and called her.
"Xiao Yu, Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year," her voice came through, soft and warm. "Chen Mo, when you come back to Binhai, let me know. I've got a surprise for you."
"You keep saying that, and it's killing me with curiosity."
"Don't want it?"
"Of course I do," he laughed. "How could I not want a surprise from you?"
"You'll know when the time comes."
He went quiet for a second.
"You're spacing out again," Xiao Yu said, sensing something.
"It's nothing," Chen Mo replied, blinking back to focus.
"Come on. Tell me. If something's bothering you, I'll share half the burden."
Chen Mo chuckled. "I was just thinking… if I designed an AI with your personality, what would it be missing? I keep trying to map it out, but something always feels incomplete."
"You think about weird things like this all day." Xiao Yu's voice was laced with both amusement and a little embarrassment. "Why don't you just go buy one of those robot girlfriends? Why even date me?"
"Robot girlfriend?" Chen Mo's eyebrows shot up. Then—click—inspiration struck.
Silly Girl.
That's it!
The magic phone's silly girl assistant—adorable, expressive, a bit clumsy but lovable. If he added multiple personality modes to the AI design, with Xiao Yu's as the default, it would dramatically increase flexibility and user engagement.
A silly girl system. How had he not thought of that?
"One sentence from you, and I'm enlightened," he said. "Xiao Yu, I love you. You're my silly girl."
"You… you…!"
Xiao Yu stammered, completely thrown off by the sudden burst of affection. Her voice went soft and shy. "I'm not a silly girl…"
"In my heart, you are. My one and only silly girl."
"I'm not talking to you anymore!" She hurriedly hung up.
But she didn't throw her phone away this time.
Instead, she curled up on the bed, cheeks glowing, hugging a pillow and grinning like a fool.
"This idiot gets more embarrassing by the day… Why do I feel so happy?"
Back in his room, Chen Mo smiled at the silent phone screen and spun back toward his computer.
Sometimes, all it took was one silly comment to spark a whole new design direction.
Now that he had both inspiration and a reference model, character development would be much easier.
Soon, the world would see the first Chinese character–based artificial intelligence—complete with selectable personalities, starting with his silly girl.
He couldn't wait.